Rouge: A Half-Life tale
by TheTrueLoyalist
Summary: A HECU marine went Rouge after refusing to kill innocent scientists during the Black Mesa Operation. Now he is hunted down with only Black Mesa employees on his side.
1. Chapter 1

Rouge

Chapter 1

Friendly Fire?

Subject: Damon Baker

Male, age 20

Training:

United States Marine Corps

Special Forces

Rank:

Lance Corporal

Current Assignment:

Hazardous Environment Combat Unit

Santego Military Base

Mission:

Classified

My name is Damon Baker. I am a HECU operator that was in the cleanup of the Black Mesa Facility. This is my story.

I was out running for my jog when Staff Sergeant Jim Kelley, my NCO, stopped my run for an important matter. He had to take me back for an urgent combat mission. I followed him on order since he was my Squad Leader.

Kelley had my team follow him to the Captain. My friends Pvt Patrick Sanderson and PFC Matt Clayton were at either side, and Cpl Adrian Shepard was in front. Patrick, Matt and Adrian are my closest friends since boot camp. Patrick and Matt are both inseparable, bound for life. Both men often joke with each other. Adrian, on the other hand is really quiet. He rarely spoke sine he's kinda shy, and even if he did, It was usually one or two word responses. I feel sorry for him.

Our Captain, Ted Winger told us about an combat training op with live fire. Lots of vehicles, aircraft and men would be in it. But I was still curious.

I asked Winger "Who are we going against?"

Winger rubbed his face in dissapointment. "Its live fire so you shoot at targets in a combined op. Now you all are dismissed."

And just like that, Winger sent us off to our Ospreys. Me, Kelley, and Patrick/Matt were in the same Osprey. Since Adrian was in a different platoon, he was assigned a different Osprey.

Everything was going smoothly in the operation. I checked my M4A1, which had an ACOG and a M203 with a laser on the top rail. I looked at Patrick and Matt, who are enjoying themselves.

"Hey Patrick, I bet you would get shot this op like the others."

"Fuck off, Matt, it was like once I got shot, and it was my leg."

"Once too many buddy. You were shot many times that time and you were out for like, five months?"

"Stop whining or i'll report to the Cap to put you in a cooks position."

"You would've been a cook when you got shot. You kept like limping."

"Oh yea, i'll make you limp once I push you out on the desert, not that a strange man in a blue suit would save you."

Kelley chimed in with his thoughts.

"Shut the hell up you two. Were approaching LZ very soon. Get you gear ready and move out!"

I adjusted my IBH helmet and made sure I had my gas-mask on my leg before we hit the ground. Just when I finished, we landed.

A LT with a beret yelled at us "GO GO GO! WERE HERE!"

I jumped out. Kelley, Patrick and Matt followed out, along with other marines. Some of us made last minute changes. I adjusted my M203 sight.

Out of the blue, green portals opened up, with humanoid brown skinned aliens walking out. These aliens had red eyes, a small sharp jaw and they had green bracelets and neck-brace. One shot out a electric burst, sending green electricity to a nearby marine. The aliens continued firing at us. We all then realized its not a training op, but real combat which a

"OPEN FIRE!" The CO ordered us.

We all took cover, firing at the aliens. There were like 15 of them. I found cover near a car. I then popped out of cover to fire upon an alien, hitting him in the chest. The alien fell to the ground with yellow blood on his chest. It didn't move.

My teammates opened fire on the other aliens. Within a minute, all 15 aliens were dead and we lost 2 men.

Kelley's radio picked up. "We are under attack from some flying bugs and aliens. Help us. Were losing too many men here! We cant hol..."

The radio went off.

I went up to Kelley and asked "We should go help them. They're in danger."

"I don't know where they are. We must wait for further orders."

Suddenly, his radio went up again. "This is General Henry speaking. Your orders are to coverup of the Black Mesa Facility by killing anyone involved with the project that teleported in aliens. Kill and Man and woman inside. Leave no prisoners alive. Any marine with the refusal to do so will be coded for rouge element and must be terminated at all costs. Over and Out."

A pain of shock went through me. Killing citizens. Aliens may be ok, but were killing scientists now. Who order this damn operation. I'm starting to think Henry made this op just so we use those poor scientists as target practice. When im done, no matter what, I will file a lawsuit on Henry for manslaughter.

Kelley rose his M4A1 up.

"You heard the general. Kick alien ass and cover the op up by eliminating any scientist. Far as we know, they coul be dooming us now."

Patrick put a smile on his face and happily said "Cool, I kill scientists and earn a medal. This is going to be amazing!"

Matt looked disgusted at Patrick and said "Your an idiot, you know that. We clean up and then earn a medal for that,"

I was disgusted with their opinion of killing innocent civilians. I walked up to them.

"Hey, I don't agree with any of this. Why should we kill scientists if they're innocent. I'm not doing this to kill citizens. I'll rather go rouge than be a murderer."

Patrick, Matt and Kelley looked at me with disgusted faces. Then Kelley signaled us to a door. We went to breaching position. I was on the handle side with Kelley. Patrick and Matt, being glued together, were on the opposite side. I then opened the door.

We were in a control lab with consoles everywhere. In the middle were a group of nine scientists who knelled to the floor. One stood up to speak.

"Thank heavens you rescuers showed up." the scientist said.

Kelley pulled out his M9 pistol. "Your welcome" he said and shot the scientist in the head. The other scientists went to the ground.

I looked at Kelley and said "What was that for?"

"Orders are orders, we kill scientists and go." Kelley replied angrily.

I was really mad at Kelley and the operation organizers.

"I didn't join to commit war crimes. Killing aliens are fine because they're hostile to us, but we cant kill innocent men and women. If anything, we must help them." I told Kelley. I pointed my M4A1 at Kelley. Kelley, Patrick and Matt pointed their guns at me.

Kelley put his gun closer and said "Kill the scientists over there. Do it or else you will be rouge element. We will personally kill the scientists and you if you don't obey me. Now kill that scientist."

I turned my back to my team and walked to the scientist. How do I get out of this?

Kelley has his M9 on my back. I happen to have a Desert Eagle on my chest holster for a last stand or backup situation. Would be really useful now.

The scientist was in front of me. I had a choice to make. Kill my NCO and teammates or this citizen?

"Do it!" Kelley hissed at me.

I still knelled there, refusing to move.

I looked at the defenseless scientists. What was their crime? Merely breathing.

I stood up and turned around to face Kelley. "I'll be dead before I murder a innocent."

"Orders are orders Baker. I have to kill them since superiors said so."

"If superiors told you to kill a child, would you? Because I wouldnt."

"Yes, if the objective says so."

I pushed Kelley "Even if orders say so, it's still wrong. That just means the Commanding Officer is a dumbass and a crook."

A series of hard to explain events soon happened.

Kelley uses his gun arm to shoot me in the chest. Pain struck all my nerves as I fell down on my back. The fall made me more immobile. I tried to reach for the Desert Eagle on my chest.

I can only watch while Kelley, Patrick and Matt gun down the scientists. Kelley spun and walked towards me. My hand made it to my pistol, but so was his.

I swung my right arm around which had my gun and without aiming, shot and hit Kelley. Blood went down his chest as he fell on top of me.

Patrick and Matt turned to see their dead comrade and fired upon me, but hit Kelley. Using Kelley as a shield, I shot Patrick and Matt both in the head. Both of them fell to the ground. I then pushed the bloody Kelley to the ground.

I looked at my dead friends. A large pain of guilt ran through me, but it was the only option that was morally acceptable. Kill my used-to-be friends or kill scientists who did no harm to anyone. I wouldn't choose pointless manslaughter.

I looked at the scene beside me. They killed every scientist, save for one. The surviving scientist shuffled to me as I stood up.

"Thanks for saving me. I was worried that I was going to die." the scientist thanked me.

I told him "Its not safe here. We have to find a way for you to get out and leave. Know anyway to get out of here?"

The scientist briefly walked back and forth. Then he stopped and concluded "There is a helipad a mile away from here. I will help you there."

The scientist turned and walked into a hallway. I had to follow him as he is the only ally I have now since i'm now a rouge element. I tried to save the eight scientists, and ended up with seven dead and three friends gone, by my own hand. That was the only thing I could do to the friends turned murderers. When I can get out, if I do, I will file a lawsuit on General Henry and sue him for war crimes of organized collateral damage. And then be free of my rouge rating.


	2. Chapter 2

Rouge

Chapter 2

The blue man.

Me and the scientist left the room and went down a long hallway. We turned left and went through a door. The door led us into a well decorated Office with many paintings and luxurious furniture. The desk says Dr. Wallace Breen. A man with a sharp beaked nose, wide face and blue eyes was in a picture that was on the desk.

Me and the scientist sat down on the couch. The scientist sobbed into his hands.

"I just make it anymore. All my friends may and are dead. And were under attack. There's no hope now." the scientist sobbed.

I put my hand around the scientist's shoulder. "Its ok, we can make it. There's always hope. Just stick to me. Im here for you. I'm your friend."

The scientist calmed down a little. He turned to me and quietly said "Thanks for comforting me. About back there, all I can say is thanks for that also. If you weren't there, I would've seen myself dead. Oh and by the way, im Doctor Victor Quinn, but you can call me Vic."

"I'm Lance Corporal Damon Baker. Nice meeting someone who isn't going to kill me." I replied.

We sat down on a green sofa for a minute, trying to get our minds straight. I looked to my side and I saw a pale man in a blue suit standing around a corner. The man turned out of our sight and went behind the wall.

"Woa woa woa, what was that" I asked Vic.

"I don't know who he is, I only saw him one other time." Vic replied.

"Stay here and lock the door. I'll look for the man. If anyone hostile tries to kill you, shoot him or it." I gave Vic my Desert Eagle which has a 7 round capacity. I know this handgun is prohibited by the military since its unruly and too dangerous. Found it while on an operation in Area 51 on a dead guard. I kept it anyways and hid it until my combat operations. There were three spare mags. I gave Vic those also. I then walked out the door.

I was in the hallway, with my M4A1 in front of me. I inched my way to the corner and peeked around. A dead end with a phone operating station and with no man in blue suit.

What?

Where did he go and how did he disappear?

Suddenly, I heard footsteps.

A deep and angry voice shouted "Check the room for scientists. Go through every corner and bring them out to shoot."

"Rog, LT" came another operator.

Shit, I thought.

They were getting closer and closer.

I stood in my spot until I found three HECU operators about to breach a door. The door to the Admin room Vic was behind. I turned the corner and fired upon one of the operators, hitting one in the back with 10 bullets. He fell to the ground.

"Man down!" yelled a HECU operator.

"Rouge Element Damon Baker spotted!" shouted another HECU operator.

I shot the LT, who had a beret on. I managed a quick breath of relief when pain struck my chest, flinging me backwards. I hit the wall behind me with a bullet wedged into my chest armor plate. My M4A1 was 2 meters away while the remaining HECU operator with a gasmask on walked towards me.

Thank god the US Army still use those shitty 5.56 mm bullets. If it was 7.62 or 6.8, I would die.

"You are dead, Traitor" he said to me, pointing his M249 LMG at me.

I closed my eyes for the death to come.

I die today.

A gunshot was heard and I was still breathing.

I opened my eyes to see the operator fall down with a bullet wound on his head. Behind him was Vic, with my Desert Eagle.

I was relived through his presence.

"Thanks, your a lifesaver. I owe you one." I thanked him.

Vic answered with "More like I owed you one when you were about to shoot me."

Doesn't matter, I still have an ally with me. I looked at the man, who had short black hair, wore Harry Potter glasses and had a moustache. He looked to be about 15 years my senior.

I stood up beside him.

"What happened here?" I asked Vic.

"I'll tell you once we reach a safe haven." He responded.

We walked side by side, down the hallway looking for hostiles. We went straight through an intersection, left, right and ended up in a entrance area for the sector were in, Sector D. A sign said Administrations beside the door.

We went through the main door and up ahead was a Tram station, with a Tram on board, empty.

I asked Vic "Can it take us to the Helipad you mentioned?"

Vic replied "yes, that's the one, but there is no driver in there. It is operated from some control room. Which means on this trip, I can't go. But when it gets to the next stop, you can take the control there and use the radios to direct me on. We'll be there in no time. I'll give you the other radio and contact you from my radio."

I looked at Vic "I got the radio."

"All prepared?"

"I go in first."

"Ok, I'll direct you from there."

"You still have that pistol I gave you?"

"Yes, and hopefully, I can find more ammo from the guards lying around here. I didn't tell you about the Black Mesa Security Guards here right?"

"No."

"They can help us on the way and will be a useful ally. Get one if you can."

I felt somewhat happy, as we can finally escape this hell. And we can get more backup to make a breakthrough if we find a squad of soldiers or aliens.

I stepped into the tram, all prepared to go. I reloaded my M4A1 and sat down on a seat.

The doors then closed and the tram started to move.


End file.
